


Incantations

by DrayPotter_TFLS (DrayOakenshield)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Forced Bonding, Forced Relationship, M/M, Magical Theory (Harry Potter), Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:34:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29722866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrayOakenshield/pseuds/DrayPotter_TFLS
Summary: When a student dabbles in something they shouldn't Harry's life is turned upside down (again). Severus is forced to help him navigate these changes while dealing with his own anger
Relationships: Harry Potter/Severus Snape
Comments: 3
Kudos: 50





	Incantations

Severus rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "No, Potter, we cannot just  _ finite incantatem _ our way out of this. Finite incantatem only works on spells.” The blank expression on Harry's face showed exactly how little he understood the distinction Severus was trying to make. "Spells are much simpler ways of doing things, as such they are not as powerful and can be broken easily. What was done to us was an incantation, those are much longer and more involved pieces of magic and, as such, they cannot be broken."

“So you’re telling me we are stuck together until we either learn to get along or until one of us dies?” Harry groaned as the reality of exactly what the seventh-year Ravenclaw had caused.

“Getting along is not what this incantation is for Potter.” Severus sneered, sounding even more annoyed than he had a few seconds before. “As Albus explained, the incantation was supposed to find the most compatible person for that dunderhead and bind them together. However they used multis instead of unus, how someone from what is supposed to be the smartest house made that mistake is beyond me. Since they said many, the spell sought out the most compatible couples in the castle.”

Harry sighed in defeat, he had thought he was going to have a normal year at Hogwarts for a change; after all Voldemort was dead and there wasn’t anyone else who had been trying to kill him since he was a year old. But no, barely two terms through the year and he was bound to his potions professor who quite possibly hated him as much as Voldemort had. All because some Ravenclaw had found a book full of old  _ incantations _ and decided to try one out. “Well then, what do we do from here? I can’t exactly keep living in Gryffindor tower with you all but attached to my hip. And I’m thinking separate rooms would be out of the question since even being most of a room apart is starting to get uncomfortable.”

Silently cursing the Ravenclaw to whatever deities were listening, Severus moved closer to the young man he was now bound to, purely to make him whine less mind you. He would never admit it was as much to ease his own discomfort as it was Potters. “No, you will be moving into my quarters. Albus said he would send a house-elf to move your things shortly after he and Minerva find accommodations for the other pairs affected by this blasted mistake.”

“Right then, I guess I should have known the adults would go over my head and figure everything out without me.” Harry groused, trying to keep the bitterness out of his tone. “And here I was mistakenly thinking coming back to redo my seventh year without someone trying to wipe me off the face of the earth would be a relaxing change of pace.”

Severus was so caught off guard by the tone and the words out of Harry’s mouth that he turned to stare at the young man. For the first time he realized that Harry had been treated as a puppet just as much as he had, never having a say in his own life or the choices that affected him. And now something that was supposed to be as unique and personal of an experience as finding love was being taken away from him. “You aren’t a child anymore, I think all of us adults as you call us have neglected to notice that fact. Since you were a baby you have never truly been allowed to choose for yourself what your life would look like and now the last piece you should have had control over has been taken away.”

To say Harry was stunned at the remorse in Severus’ voice would be putting it mildly. Unable to talk around the lump forming in his throat he just nodded and stared intently at his shoes while he tried to get his emotions under control.

The silence in the room was broken by an elf popping in before Severus could think of what to say to make the situation better. “Pardons Mimsy Misters but I have collected Mister Potter's things and am wondering where to put them.”

Harry looked nearly defeated when he caught Severus’ eyes, not sure what the older man was going to say.

“Please leave them boxed in my sitting room Mimsy, Mister Potter and I will sort them out together.” Severus directed, there would be time later to be angry at the situation but right now he needed to do something to ease the guilt bubbling in his gut at how he had inadvertently continued the cycle of taking choices away from Harry.

“Mimsy would be happy to do that, would Misters be needing anything else?”

Harry glanced at Severus, not sure if he was going to step over some invisible line. “Could we possibly have dinner served in his, our, rooms tonight? If Professor Snape doesn’t mind that is.”

“No I quite agree that would be a good idea, can you please make it happen?” Severus asked the small elf. Part of his easy agreement was because he wasn’t ready to face the student body after most of the seventh year students saw him and Harry get pulled together in the middle of potions class by the blasted incantation but a much larger part of it was because in that moment he knew if he saw Albus’ smug grin he would probably not be able to resist the urge to punch it off of his face.

Mimsy nodded her agreement before popping out of the room to follow the instructions she had been given, leaving the pair in the same awkward silence that had been in when she had entered the room.

“I think given our circumstances that you should call me Severus now,” Severus said after a moment, “at least in our quarters or when we are alone.”

“Alright Severus, I’ll try.” Harry agreed after a moment, finally cracking a small smile at the absurdity of the situation. “And thank you for at least pretending to give me a choice about where my things go.”

Severus’ hand found its way back to the bridge of his nose, he was suddenly realizing how hard living with a self-sacrificing Gryffindor would be. “I wasn’t pretending Harry, barring some sort of divine intervention, this is likely going to be a permanent situation. As such you should be the one to decide where your things go.”

As Severus said it, reality came crashing down around Harry. He was bound, most likely forever, to a man who had hated him since he was a baby. A man who he had once believed had been willing to kill him. And now he was going to be living in Hogwarts for the foreseeable future, even once he finished his NEWTs. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’d already decided being an Auror wasn’t for me. I need time to process this, can I go take a shower? I’m guessing the bathroom is through the bedroom?”

“Yes it is, the bath is quite nice you’ll find. Why don’t you have a good long soak and I’ll get a second bed brought in so we can attempt to make the space suit both our needs after dinner.” Severus said, nodding towards the door as his way of excusing Harry. Once the younger man had disappeared and he could faintly hear the water running he threw up a one-way silencing charm so Harry wouldn’t hear him and threw a handful of floo powder into the fire and shoved his head in as soon as the flames turned green.

“Ah Severus, I was hoping we would get a chance to speak tonight.” Albus said calmly as he appeared in the fireplace, completely nonplussed at the unannounced appearance of an irate Potions Master’s head.

“I’m not here to chat Albus, I just wanted to tell you that myself and Harry are both done being your pawns. After this term, I am leaving Hogwarts and I am not coming back.”

Albus glanced over his glasses at Severus curiously, “and have you discussed this with Mr. Potter?”

Sneering Severus considered asking why he cared but decided it wasn’t worth the energy and yanked his head out of the fireplace. Charming the floo closed for the night, he threw a couple more locking charms at the door for good measure. He and Harry really would need to have a few good long conversations and he didn’t want people interrupting until Harry decided he was ready, because Merlin knew it wouldn’t be Severus’ friends pounding at the door demanding answers.


End file.
